[The following scene before the PK post is an actual IC event that took place. It has been added purely for flavor. Please do not metagame.]
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Thallan stood at the edge of the bridge above the gate of the Enlightened Kingdom. His steely eyes locked onto Nephi'ra.
"So you do not understand, I see." he muttered in a low voice, a grim undertone in his words. "You all were always too caught up in other affairs."
His sidelong glance sharpened as he continued, "If you will not do it, you will forever live without peace."
With a swift movement, he kicked her daughter's reaching hand away. Nephi'ra recoiled, rubbing her hand against her dress as if trying to rid herself of the pain. Her face grew frustrated as her good hand formed a tight fist that remained by her side. "If you expect me to put you in the grave, I refuse to stain my hands with blood." she hissed back, "Because as it stands that is the only way you can grant us peace. Forgive me for not bending to your madness. So, speak clearly."
Thallan's answer was cold and plain, "Ne."
Her frustration boiled over but her desperation was bigger and it showed in her frown.
She grasped his ankle tightly once more with her fingers digging into his skin. "Stop acting like an entitled asshole and help me, for once! I don't want you dead!"
The silence between them was deafening as Thallan stared back at her. His eyes were filled with something more than just exhaustion.
There was a sadness, an accusation, almost daring her to act. "You already know everything you need to know. Use it." he said quietly,
"If you do care."
Nephi'ra met his gaze in silence, her breathing slowing as her hand loosened around his ankle. She stood and stepped back, her face softening into a confused, unreadable mask. She let out a shakey breath. "I do care." she whispered in a broken voice.
"Too much. That’s been the problem."
"Always."
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Thallan had always been a proud man.
A strict father and an ambitious scholar for most of his life. He had groomed his children with the firm, unyielding hand of an elven man who had known only discipline and tradition. His ambitions for his family were clear from the beginning; to uphold the legacy of the Illysar name. Nephi’ra, his only daughter, had been no exception to his expectations. He had demanded much of her and sought to mold her into a figure of power and grace, much like himself.
But in recent years, something in Thallan had broken. The failure of his ambitions and the rising tensions in his mind had begun to gnaw at him. His once clear-eyed pursuit of knowledge had twisted into a maddening obsession. His trips were always filled with an increasingly dangerous curiosity. They had turned darker, more erratic. The lure of the unknown calling him to the edges of reason. He had disappeared once before only to return a changed man. The family had presumed him dead until the day he casually walked back into their lives. Different, colder. But alive.
This time, however, Thallan knew his journey was to be his last. The madness that had taken root in his mind could no longer be controlled. He could feel it. The once quiet whispers, the call of forbidden knowledge.. now all screamed in his ears, beckoning him to return. He had become a stranger to his own family. Distant.
The night he left, he did so quietly, offering little more than a few curt words to Siryana, his wife. Siryana's love and worry etched in every line of her face as she kissed him one last time, asking him to come back safely. Thallan did not respond but only held her gaze for a fleeting moment, as if imprinting her image in his mind for the final time. He knew he wouldn't return but he dared not say it. And his daughter had seen it in his eyes. The same distant look he had given them before he had disappeared years ago. But this time, something felt different. As Thallan mounted his horse and rode off into the night, Nephi’ra's chest tightened with the known feeling that something was to happen. Something terrible. She had already lost too much in her life. Lovers.. friends.. and the dream of the family she had always longed for and could never build. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her father too. Not after everything they had been through.
For the next few days, Nephi'ra stayed with her family. She tried to distract herself by helping her mother and daughter, but her thoughts always drifted back to her father. The unease grew until she could no longer ignore it. She had to follow him, even if he didn't want her to. She had to make sure he was safe, or at the very least, bring him home. The last time he had disappeared, it had nearly destroyed their family. This time, she wasn't willing to let him go. In the dead of night, Nephi'ra set off after her father's tracks. The wind whistled through the trees, carrying with it the familiar scent of night flowers as she rode northwest. The journey was long and the terrain grew more hostile the closer she got to the place her father had been drawn to time and time again. She wasn't sure what she would find when she reached the swamp, but the feeling of dread grew stronger with every passing hour. Somehow she just knew he was in there.
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Meanwhile, Thallan's descent into madness had only worsened. The whispers of the dead and the pull of the unknown made him enter lands he could not return from. He felt the weight of his family's legacy slipping through his fingers and in his mind, the swamp was the key to reclaiming it. But as he walked deeper into the decaying lands, the undead that lurked within sensed his presence. The attack was swift and brutal. The elven man, already weakened by the madness and age that gripped him, barely had time to react. The undead tore into him with fury. Their decaying claws and teeth sinking into his flesh. He screamed a sound of pure agony but it was swallowed by the swamp. His body was now broken. He tried to fight and claw his way back but it was too late. The darkness of the swamp had claimed him, just as it had claimed so many others before him.
In his final moments, as the life drained from him, Thallan's thoughts were of his family. He wanted to tell them he was sorry, even now. He wanted to make amends.
But as his vision faded and the undead dragged his broken body into the muck, all he could do was wait for death to claim him.
Nephi'ra arrived just as the light in her father's eyes flickered out. The sight of Thallan's mangled body with his flesh torn apart by the undead, shattered her. A pain-filled scream tore from her throat. She didn't care about the danger around her. All that mattered was getting to her father. Her hands crackled with lightning as she unleashed the entire force of her magic in a desperate attempt to clear the way, but the undead were relentless. They swarmed her, clawing at her flesh even if she fought on. Her eyes were always locked on her father's lifeless form. It was as if time was moving slow.
Tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside him, her arms wrapping around his broken body in a try to find any signs of life. A desperate try to revive him. "Khari, please.." Her voice cracked, drowning over the sounds of the horde. She had always been strong, always fought through the pain, but this was different. This was her father, her family. The man who had shaped her, for better or for worse. And now, he was gone.
The rage within the elfess was uncontrollable. Her magic lashing out in every direction but it wasn't nearly enough. The undead overwhelmed her as their numbers were too great and their hunger too strong. As they reached her, she felt their claws sinking into her flesh, tearing at her, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that she was with her father in his final moments.
The fight drained from her as she collapsed beside him, with her body broken and bloodied.
As the darkness took over, they both let go of the pain, the fear and anger. All that remained was the familial bonds and the love.
A love that, despite everything, had never faded. In her final moments, she whispered a prayer to the Mother, asking for her remaining family to be safe and for her father's soul to be at peace. Then, with a final shuddering breath, she let go.
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╔═════════════════════════════════════════╡𖥸╞═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Thallan stood at the edge of the bridge above the gate of the Enlightened Kingdom. His steely eyes locked onto Nephi'ra.
"So you do not understand, I see." he muttered in a low voice, a grim undertone in his words. "You all were always too caught up in other affairs."
His sidelong glance sharpened as he continued, "If you will not do it, you will forever live without peace."
With a swift movement, he kicked her daughter's reaching hand away. Nephi'ra recoiled, rubbing her hand against her dress as if trying to rid herself of the pain. Her face grew frustrated as her good hand formed a tight fist that remained by her side. "If you expect me to put you in the grave, I refuse to stain my hands with blood." she hissed back, "Because as it stands that is the only way you can grant us peace. Forgive me for not bending to your madness. So, speak clearly."
Thallan's answer was cold and plain, "Ne."
Her frustration boiled over but her desperation was bigger and it showed in her frown.
She grasped his ankle tightly once more with her fingers digging into his skin. "Stop acting like an entitled asshole and help me, for once! I don't want you dead!"
The silence between them was deafening as Thallan stared back at her. His eyes were filled with something more than just exhaustion.
There was a sadness, an accusation, almost daring her to act. "You already know everything you need to know. Use it." he said quietly,
"If you do care."
Nephi'ra met his gaze in silence, her breathing slowing as her hand loosened around his ankle. She stood and stepped back, her face softening into a confused, unreadable mask. She let out a shakey breath. "I do care." she whispered in a broken voice.
"Too much. That’s been the problem."
"Always."
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╡𖥸╞═════════════════════════════════════════╝
Thallan had always been a proud man.
A strict father and an ambitious scholar for most of his life. He had groomed his children with the firm, unyielding hand of an elven man who had known only discipline and tradition. His ambitions for his family were clear from the beginning; to uphold the legacy of the Illysar name. Nephi’ra, his only daughter, had been no exception to his expectations. He had demanded much of her and sought to mold her into a figure of power and grace, much like himself.
But in recent years, something in Thallan had broken. The failure of his ambitions and the rising tensions in his mind had begun to gnaw at him. His once clear-eyed pursuit of knowledge had twisted into a maddening obsession. His trips were always filled with an increasingly dangerous curiosity. They had turned darker, more erratic. The lure of the unknown calling him to the edges of reason. He had disappeared once before only to return a changed man. The family had presumed him dead until the day he casually walked back into their lives. Different, colder. But alive.
This time, however, Thallan knew his journey was to be his last. The madness that had taken root in his mind could no longer be controlled. He could feel it. The once quiet whispers, the call of forbidden knowledge.. now all screamed in his ears, beckoning him to return. He had become a stranger to his own family. Distant.
The night he left, he did so quietly, offering little more than a few curt words to Siryana, his wife. Siryana's love and worry etched in every line of her face as she kissed him one last time, asking him to come back safely. Thallan did not respond but only held her gaze for a fleeting moment, as if imprinting her image in his mind for the final time. He knew he wouldn't return but he dared not say it. And his daughter had seen it in his eyes. The same distant look he had given them before he had disappeared years ago. But this time, something felt different. As Thallan mounted his horse and rode off into the night, Nephi’ra's chest tightened with the known feeling that something was to happen. Something terrible. She had already lost too much in her life. Lovers.. friends.. and the dream of the family she had always longed for and could never build. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her father too. Not after everything they had been through.
For the next few days, Nephi'ra stayed with her family. She tried to distract herself by helping her mother and daughter, but her thoughts always drifted back to her father. The unease grew until she could no longer ignore it. She had to follow him, even if he didn't want her to. She had to make sure he was safe, or at the very least, bring him home. The last time he had disappeared, it had nearly destroyed their family. This time, she wasn't willing to let him go. In the dead of night, Nephi'ra set off after her father's tracks. The wind whistled through the trees, carrying with it the familiar scent of night flowers as she rode northwest. The journey was long and the terrain grew more hostile the closer she got to the place her father had been drawn to time and time again. She wasn't sure what she would find when she reached the swamp, but the feeling of dread grew stronger with every passing hour. Somehow she just knew he was in there.
· · ────────────────────────────────────────── · 𖥸 · ────────────────────────────────────────── · ·
Meanwhile, Thallan's descent into madness had only worsened. The whispers of the dead and the pull of the unknown made him enter lands he could not return from. He felt the weight of his family's legacy slipping through his fingers and in his mind, the swamp was the key to reclaiming it. But as he walked deeper into the decaying lands, the undead that lurked within sensed his presence. The attack was swift and brutal. The elven man, already weakened by the madness and age that gripped him, barely had time to react. The undead tore into him with fury. Their decaying claws and teeth sinking into his flesh. He screamed a sound of pure agony but it was swallowed by the swamp. His body was now broken. He tried to fight and claw his way back but it was too late. The darkness of the swamp had claimed him, just as it had claimed so many others before him.
In his final moments, as the life drained from him, Thallan's thoughts were of his family. He wanted to tell them he was sorry, even now. He wanted to make amends.
But as his vision faded and the undead dragged his broken body into the muck, all he could do was wait for death to claim him.
Nephi'ra arrived just as the light in her father's eyes flickered out. The sight of Thallan's mangled body with his flesh torn apart by the undead, shattered her. A pain-filled scream tore from her throat. She didn't care about the danger around her. All that mattered was getting to her father. Her hands crackled with lightning as she unleashed the entire force of her magic in a desperate attempt to clear the way, but the undead were relentless. They swarmed her, clawing at her flesh even if she fought on. Her eyes were always locked on her father's lifeless form. It was as if time was moving slow.
Tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside him, her arms wrapping around his broken body in a try to find any signs of life. A desperate try to revive him. "Khari, please.." Her voice cracked, drowning over the sounds of the horde. She had always been strong, always fought through the pain, but this was different. This was her father, her family. The man who had shaped her, for better or for worse. And now, he was gone.
The rage within the elfess was uncontrollable. Her magic lashing out in every direction but it wasn't nearly enough. The undead overwhelmed her as their numbers were too great and their hunger too strong. As they reached her, she felt their claws sinking into her flesh, tearing at her, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that she was with her father in his final moments.
The fight drained from her as she collapsed beside him, with her body broken and bloodied.
As the darkness took over, they both let go of the pain, the fear and anger. All that remained was the familial bonds and the love.
A love that, despite everything, had never faded. In her final moments, she whispered a prayer to the Mother, asking for her remaining family to be safe and for her father's soul to be at peace. Then, with a final shuddering breath, she let go.
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Hey guys! This has been a long time coming, and though it's hard to say goodbye to Nephi'ra, I know her story has reached its end. It's been a journey, filled with.. everything, and I've loved every moment playing her. Surely there were the lows, but there were also the highs. Thank you to everyone who made her arc what it was, especially those who played her family. You all brought her story to life in ways I never expected and I can't thank you enough for that <3
I hope we meet again with new characters and stories. Until then, this chapter is closed.
I hope we meet again with new characters and stories. Until then, this chapter is closed.
